Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Kali had explained to Freja the one shot she had. It wasn’t a guarantee, but it was the only thing she had to try. She had made her way off the mountainside and was now deep in a dark forest.
The forest was eerily quiet as Freja moved through it. Not even sunlight reached through the leaves. The smell in the air was foul and stung her nose, and her senses were yelling at her to turn around and go in another direction. She was curious, though, and this was the fastest way back to Hunter.
Like the predator she was, she stalked through the treetops in silence, making sure to keep her body well hidden as she ignored the tingling sensation screaming at her to run.
What was this? She knew it was demons because she recognized the scent, but for some reason her intuition was telling her to get out of there.
Weird. She was a demon huntress. Killing demons was what she did.
Every movement she made was soft and calculated as she drifted through the trees like the wind, the sounds she was hearing becoming clearer. She took cover in a large, leafy tree and found a gap where she could watch the ground below. She hid her aura so she could go completely unnoticed.
Demons were scattered across the forest. It looked like several bands had joined to prepare their next march.
This wasn’t anything unusual, though, since the demons have been on the move and banding together for a while now.
There was something else that had set her on edge, and she soon realized exactly what it was.
A demon emerged—one whose face she’d seen only a couple of times but could never forget.
She saw the demon Leoric come into the clearing.
Then Freja’s breath caught in her chest, and an icy chill ran through her veins as her eyes widened in horror.
She watched as a large beast walked up. His skin gleamed the rich brown of scorched earth, pulled taut over a frame so massive he blotted out the light behind him.
From his back, great wings unfurled in leathery arcs that could have shamed a dragon, their span casting shadows wide enough to swallow the ground beneath.
Claws curved from his fingertips like obsidian hooks, and when his lips parted, rows of fangs caught what little light remained.
The earth groaned with each step he took, small fissures spider-webbing outward from the imprint of his feet.
Yet he moved without hesitation, shoulders squared, chin lifted, as though the world existed solely to bear his weight.
His gaze swept forward, black and fathomless, holding nothing that resembled fear.
Only the steady, ancient certainty of a creature who had never known a predator.
She was looking at the epitome of everything evil.
Her fingers began to shake, and a wave of nausea rolled through her stomach.
This demon war had brought up an ancient evil …
a terrifying monster from the deep. While she couldn’t believe it, she couldn’t ignore what she saw in plain sight.
It was Mephisto, who looked like he would be entering the war alongside his son, Leoric.
Freja leaned back against the trunk of the tree for support.
If Mephisto fought in the war, they were in trouble.
There was only one thing that could stand toe-to-toe with an original demon such as him, and that would be a tier-one deity.
A deity such as Leviathan fighting against Mephisto would be their only chance.
And even then, they would be an equal match.
It would be a toss-up as to who would win.
And what if he wasn’t the only original demon joining the war?
The upcoming battle would not just be a battle for balance.
It would be a fight for survival. If they lost to the demons, they would surely face extinction.
Freja slipped away quietly, in fear. She needed to get away from the terrifying sight of Mephisto.
Kali and Selene must have already known that Mephisto was challenging the balance, which was why they had been slowly stacking the deck in their favor.
But would it be enough? This wouldn’t be the easy fight she’d hoped it would be.
They would need everyone to join in against the demons.
The fairies, werewolves and dragons would all need to fight together.
And they would need Leviathan to fight against Mephisto.
Once Freja felt like she was far enough away, she leaned her head against the cool bark of a tree, panting heavily.
Now that she was away from his intense aura, she was finally able to calm down.
She never realized how terrifying an original demon was.
It was not just his monstrous looks. It was everything about him.
There was the power that radiated off of him, and his commanding presence.
Then there was the cruelty that emanated from his eyes.
Freja looked back toward where she’d seen the demons.
They seemed to still be in the preparation phase—not quite ready to march for war, but it was coming.
She hoped she could fix things with Hunter before everything began.
How could she fight in the war with him otherwise?
She couldn’t allow him to fight blindfolded.
She had agreed to be there without fully thinking things through.
It would be tough to engage in the battle near Hunter. He would need his sight.
Freja shook her head and rose on the branch where she was perched, gazing toward the Black Ice Pack.
She would have to take the long way around and give the demons a wide berth, because she definitely didn't want to run into Mephisto.
Making sure to remain stealthy, she sprinted through the trees again, knowing there would be demon scouts nearby making sure everything was clear.
There was an uneasiness in her chest. She needed to get to her mate. She had been away from him too long and knew he would be worrying.
Hunter, I’m coming.
Hunter walked behind his parents as they patrolled the pack's territory.
Having been almost a week since he last saw Freja, he was more than anxious.
He had started patrolling the pack's border several times a day.
For one, it gave him something to do, and two, he was hoping he would catch some sign of her, even just her scent on the breeze.
Anything to let him know she was on her way.
Today, his parents joined him, along with his uncle and brother.
He was a bit frustrated by the extra company.
This was his time of solitude, and for the first time in his life, he craved it.
He wanted to be away from the smiling faces in his pack and the happily mated couples.
All he could think about was his own mate, how he couldn’t see her or else he would try to kill her …
and how he had no idea where she was or if she was in danger.
“You sure you don’t want a mate of your own, Uncle Grayson?” Chasen looked over at his uncle and smiled.
“I’m very sure. I’m glad you took one for yourself.
This is my own personal choice, and I’m happy with it.
I don’t feel like anything is missing from my life.
It’s actually very full.” Grayson knew that Chasen was projecting his feelings onto him a bit.
He’d never felt the need to take a mate.
“Though I am very interested in how you said you felt the mate pull. I wonder what that’s about.
We don’t have fated mates. You’re the first I’ve ever heard of. ”
“I couldn’t believe it either. The same goes for Jin.
Her kind don’t have fated mates either. Well, her kind of demon, that is.
I’m not sure what it means or why it happened.
I guess we were supposed to be together.
” Chasen shrugged. It really didn’t matter to him.
He had her, and that was all that mattered.
Hunter stopped walking as he felt a small pull in his chest. Blaze had perked his ears up and was alert as well. He caught the faintest scent of his mate. She was back. He began to look around frantically.
Hey moron, you can’t look at her, remember? So quit trying to look for her. Blaze chuckled.
Hunter rolled his eyes in annoyance, but his wolf was right. He didn’t want to accidentally see her and then fly off the handle.
“Hunter?” Asher turned around and looked at his son, who was standing in place with his eyes now closed.
“She’s close,” he whispered as her scent got stronger.
Did you miss me? Freja’s voice echoed into his mind. His heart squeezed and he felt a wave of relief wash over him.
Miss you? Baby, it’s been torture.
Keep your eyes closed, okay?
I won’t open them.
Freja jumped down onto the ground behind Hunter. She wrapped her arms around his back and leaned her head against him. He immediately brought her hands to his lips. She felt the weight of the world lift from her shoulders at that moment. How have you been? I’ve thought about you constantly.
I’m not going to lie. I’ve been miserable. I can’t not be with you anymore. I can’t have you leaving my side again. I can’t take it. Hunter kissed her fingers and inhaled her sweet scent. Did you find a way to fix this?
“I found something we can try,” Freja said, out loud so everyone could hear. “It’s the only shot we have.”
“What is it?” Lita asked, worried it might be something that could harm Hunter.
“I have to mark him.” Freja’s eyes met Lita’s.
“If my vampire venom is strong enough, it will turn him. This will start to change his blood into something different, which will weaken the blood potion, and Hunter might be able to fight it out of his system. The worst case would be it doesn’t work, and now Hunter is that much stronger and harder to control. It’s the only option we have.”
“Very well. We have two guardians here, plus Asher. The three of them will be able to hold Hunter down so we can test if it works without him getting to you.” Lita conceded to this. If anything, Hunter would only end up stronger.
“I’d actually like to speak with you before we proceed. Just in case things go horribly, I’d like to tell you what I’ve seen while traveling.” Freja watched Lita nod her head.
“What did you see?” Hunter asked, wanting to know too.
“Nope. I’m not telling you until after your transformation is done. I want you focused on one thing only, and that is fighting the potion inside you.” Freja tapped his chest, then trailed her hands off him.
She walked away, and Lita followed behind her.
“We’ll need to walk far enough away to make sure he isn’t able to hear us.” Lita pointed off into the distance.
“I wonder what she saw,” Hunter said quietly, still keeping his eyes closed.
“Nope. Push it from your mind, Hunter. You’ve only got one shot at this.
You need to prepare yourself mentally for what’s about to happen.
” Asher walked up and put his hand on his son's shoulder. “From what I know, the pain of becoming a tribrid is intense. You’re going to need to focus through this pain. On the other hand … the feeling you get from being marked by your mate is extreme in another way. A more pleasurable way. You’re going to need to push through both of these and focus on the blood potion. ”
“You can do this, Hunter!” Chasen said encouragingly.
“I have to do this. But no matter what happens, I won’t live without her. I just would like to be able to see her beautiful face again.” Hunter smiled as he envisioned her in his mind.
He felt his father’s hand tense a bit on his shoulder. He could tell he didn’t like the idea of him staying with Freja if this failed. “Dad, don’t ask me to live without her, because I can’t.”
“Hunter, what if there’s an accident?” Asher’s voice was quiet and somber.
“I told Hunter I will protect Freja from him.” Chasen came to his brother’s defense.
“Yeah, but you won’t be around them all the time. What happens if there’s an accident in the bedroom? It only takes a split second, Hunter, and you could kill her. You would never be able to recover from that if you did.” Asher sighed, trying to reason with his son.
“He’s right, Hunter. If you ended up killing your own mate, you’d go crazy,” Grayson agreed.
“I’ll go crazy without her. Of course I’m afraid of an accident happening.
I’m terrified of hurting her. But more than that, I’m petrified of not having her by my side.
I need her. I’m willing to try anything in order to be together.
And if that means making sure there’s never an accident, then that’s what I’ll do,” Hunter said with determination.
“And he’s back to clawing his eyes out.” Grayson growled lowly. The Alpha of the Black Ice Pack couldn’t have this weakness, let alone the Alpha King. He would have many enemies, and his eyesight would be vital.
“Look. Freja and I will decide what is best for us together. All I want is for you guys to support me and the decision we make. It’s our life and our choice. That’s it.” Hunter stopped the conversation right there. This wasn’t up for debate. No matter what anyone thought.